Power Companies go Virtual
Creating online exhibits to showcase new products, companies outline what they would have presented during the 2020 spring conference season virtually due to COVID-19 health concerns.
This article is being updated as companies release individual versions of their online exhibit.
When this year’s Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC) was cancelled, power companies were left without a venue to unveil their newest product offerings. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 35th annual APEC, originally planned for March 15 through March 19 in New Orleans, Louisiana was completely called off until 2021.
Similar to APEC, other industry events have either been cancelled or postponed. PCIM Europe, Nuremberg’s annual power electronics exhibition and conference was moved from early May to July 30, 2020.
Despite the change of plans, though, many power companies created "virtual booths" and other online resources outlining what they would have presented this spring to the power industry. This follows a new global trend, as COVID-19 containment measures ramp up across the world — several upcoming conferences have elected to “go virtual” in the world’s new social distancing reality.
In lieu of APEC 2020, several power giants such as Texas Instruments, ON Semiconductor and STMicroelectronics are showcasing their products through virtual channels.
Here’s a look at the new products and announcements these companies are rolling out:
Analog Devices
On its website, Analog Devices has assembled a package of product solutions it planned to demo at APEC 2020.
The LT8365, a boost converter for automotive lidar. Image courtesy of Analog Devices.
The demos include 4-switch buck-boost converters for charger used in electric vehicles, ultralow noise/ultra-high performance LDOs, small package wireless battery charging solutions for healthcare and IoT applications, high-voltage automotive converters, high-current PSM converters, high-efficiency bus converter solutions, buck-boost converters, and µModule regulators.
GaN Systems
GaN Systems’ “virtual experience” showcases technologies in consumer, industrial, data center and 5G, automotive, and design tools. The company has shared presentation slides on products in each.
Image courtesy of GaN Systems.
The company shared the value of GaN HEMTs in 800V and above applications and the opportunities for GaN HEMTs in 10kHz traction inverters.
Infineon
Infineon’s website includes information on the power management systems that would have been presented at APEC, most notably, its CoolSi MOSFET 650-V family and OptiMOS IPOL voltage regulators.
CoolSiC™ MOSFET 650 V family. Image courtesy of Infineon.
The company also planned to present its wide bandgap semiconductors, switching power modules, DC-DC power management controllers and converters, motor control devices and power modules. Experts from Infineon were also scheduled in the speaker lineup for APEC’s industry and technical sessions.
Infineon is still set to showcase its products at PCIM Europe and PCIM Asia this coming July.
Littelfuse
Littelfuse set up an APEC resource page on its website with information on the company’s latest power solutions, originally reserved for the six booth demonstrations the company was set to showcase at the March conference.
A virtual rendition of what Littelfuse’s booths would have looked like at APEC. Image courtesy of Littelfuse.
The company’s demos include information on its Si and SiC MOSFETs, discrete IGBT products, driver ICs and solid-state relays, a dipolar discrete package, power modules for supply chain applications, high-power IGBTs, bipolar thyristors and diodes, and stack design.
Maxim Integrated
On its website, Maxim Integrated has listed information on the products it would have showcased at APEC, aiming to serve customers in a range of applications, including automotive, analog, industrial, and cloud and data center solutions.
A diagram of the MAX17222 — part of the family of ultra-low quiescent current boost (step-up) DC-DC converters. Image courtesy of Maxim Integrated.
More specifically, Maxim would have demoed its automotive display power devices and exterior lighting controllers, nanoPower battery technology, DC-DC converters and switching regulators, and switch tank converters for cloud and data processing.
Microchip
Microchip has shared a dedicated page with demos originally planned for APEC on its website. The presentations would have showcased Microchip’s AgileSwitch driver cores, IGBT gate driver boards, a PLECS simulation demo, 32-bit microcontrollers for motor control and positioning applications, digitally controlled power supplies, and more.
The DM164147, CIP Hybrid Power Starter Kit. Image courtesy of Microchip.
The demos also include several tools for designers and engineers, including the Accelerate Silicon Carbide Development Kit, the Intelligent Configuration Tool, reference designs for module adapter boards and Pulse-Width Modulation controllers, as well as presentations on Google IoT Cloud solutions and energy harvesting techniques.
ON Semiconductor
ON Semiconductor is continuously adding to its own “Online Demo Room” with videos of demos, seminars and industry presentations planned for APEC 2020.
Four of the categories ON Semiconductor would have showcased at the conference were its advancements in cloud power, industrial power and motion, wide bandgap technology, and high-density power solutions.
Intelligent power module products from ON Semiconductor. Image courtesy of ON Semiconductor.
The company had planned to present a range of products, including smart fuse and point of load solutions, SiC diodes and MOSFETs, GaN HEMTs and drivers, industrial drive systems and high-density power technology.
ON Semiconductor was slated to showcase it’s newest technology at several events over the next few months, however, the company has shared that it is postponing its tradeshow participation for “the foreseeable future.”
Power Integrations
The virtual booth demos and technical sessions from Power Integrations feature a range of drivers and charging devices.
Most notably, the company showcases its PowiGaN-based ICs, BLDC motor drives, SiC gate driver solutions for automotive applications and 900-Volt switcher ICs.
Power Integrations' virtual booth. Image courtesy of Power Integrations.
Power Integrations’ virtual booth offers videos with company experts in each product area as well as design-specifications for the products showcased.
ROHM Semiconductor
ROHM Semiconductor also has an APEC resource section on its website. The most notable release that would have been presented is ROHM’s new 4th generation SiC MOSFETs (SCT4 Series). Designed for PV power conditioners, power supplies, and EV/PHEV applications, ROHM’s new MOSFET package features low ON-resistance, reduced switching loss, and less reverse body diode recovery.
ROHM’s 4th-generation SiC MOSFETs. Image courtesy of ROHM Semiconductor.
Other product demos on ROHM’s website include 600-Volt IGBT IPMs, buck converters with nano pulse control, programmable PMICs, portable EV chargers and buck DCDCs, shunt resistors, and GaN and SiC power supply devices.
On the website, you can sign up for a one-on-one online meeting with one of ROHM’s representatives.
STMicroelectronics
STMicroelectronics website lists all the activities it would have shared at the conference.
Image courtesy of STMicroelectronics.
Some of the booth demos include a showcase of the STPOWER Family, which includes Power MOSFETs, SiC devices, thyristors and modules, PFCs for EV and industrial power conversion, data center power distribution solutions, digital power control systems, intelligent lighting products, and offline power converters.
Executives and senior technical leaders had also planned to participate in several sessions within the conference’s industry and technical tracks. However, each product section comes with videos from STMicroelectronics experts and data sheets to help explain what wasn’t shared at the conference.
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments has an entire section of its website dedicated to its own version of the APEC experience. The page is filled with video product demos and conference sessions the company had planned for APEC.
Some of the company’s product demos include a stackable DC-DC converter family with integrated monitoring features, a new miniaturized integrated transformer DC-DC device, and a new 900-Volt GaN-based AC/DC converter for grid applications.
Image courtesy of Texas Instruments.
The website also includes new resources for both automotive and industrial power design, including HEV/EV demos, EMI mitigation techniques, power rail design resources, and whitepapers on selecting isolated DC/DC bias supplies and capacitive-based isolation technology.
This article is being updated as companies release individual versions of their online exhibits.
